Telehealth Intervention for Youth With T1DM

Hospitalization of youth with established diabetes is both costly and frequently preventable. Poor glycemic control is a risk factor for hospitalization and is also associated with adolescent age and lower socioeconomic status. This is a randomized, controlled trial for high-risk adolescent youth with T1DM and suboptimal glycemic control with an intervention arm and usual care control arm matched for frequency of contacts. There will be 110 subjects with T1DM and HbA1c\>8%, aged 13 to 17 years, recruited from the Diabetes Program at Boston Children's Hospital and followed for 6 months. The intervention will be implemented by a diabetes nurse educator and social worker, who will each have monthly contact with the adolescent and a parent/guardian through a telehealth (videoconference) visit. Care will be guided by a diabetes action plan. Telehealth interventions have been utilized successfully in both adults and youth with diabetes. They facilitate frequent contact with the care team allowing barriers to adherence to be addressed, education to be reinforced, care plans to be updated, and diabetes-specific family support to be provided.